CCRKBA Says SCOTUS Ruling Should Open Door To National CCW Recognition

"To paraphrase what Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy said about same-sex marriage,” noted CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb, “no right is more profound than the right of self-preservation, and under the Constitution, all citizens should be able to exercise the right of self-defense anywhere in the country. It disparages their ability to do so, and diminishes their personhood to deny the right to bear arms they have in their home states when they are visiting other states.” While many states recognize the concealed carry permits or licenses from other states, this is not universal. In some states, law-abiding citizens have been egregiously prosecuted for conduct that is perfectly legal in their home state. For example, New Jersey has become notorious in recent years for prosecuting honest citizens, the most recent being the unjust treatment of Shaneen Allen, the Pennsylvania single mom who had to be pardoned by Gov. Chris Christie because she crossed a bridge from one state to the other, and was honest about having a firearm when quizzed by a police officer during a traffic stop. “State drivers’ licenses are universally recognized,” Gottlieb observed, “and with today’s high court ruling, same-sex marriage must now be recognized in all 50 states as well. It not only stands to reason, but common sense demands that the concealed carry licenses held by more than 11 million citizens across the country should now be valid in every state without question. “We’re talking about law-abiding citizens who have gone through background checks, and in many cases, state-mandated training programs,” he added. “To continue treating their Second Amendment rights as second-class privileges seems unconscionable after today’s ruling.”